“It was a battle of wills, me versus the ocean lion”
The ocean lion was relentless and the battle for the seabass lasted greater than 20 minutes. {Photograph} by joserlfreedive / by way of Instagram
A spearfisherman got here face-to-face with a special sort of taxman the opposite day whereas free diving off the California coast. As an alternative of a shark making an attempt to steal his catch, it was an aggressive sea lion that set its sights on the fish he’d speared. A video shared to Instagram on Monday reveals the wrestle that ensued because the spearfisherman discovered himself in a vicious recreation of tug o’ struggle with the ocean lion.
“The wrestle was intense,” Jose Liccardo wrote within the caption that accompanies the video. “Each time I believed the fish was mine, the ocean lion proved me flawed, snatching it proper from my arms. It was a battle of wills, me versus the ocean lion, with the crew lending their power and wit.”
Liccardo defined that it was only a common day diving within the Pacific when he noticed a faculty of white seabass. He made a very good shot along with his speargun on one of many fish and clipped his floatline to his belt reel when the fish made its preliminary run.
“Massive one, massive one!” he yells at his crew, which features a captain and a pair different spearfishermen in a ship close by.
Earlier than he can get too excited, although, a sea lion emerges out of the depths and grabs ahold of the speared fish. Liccardo yells for assist and one in all his companions, Lauren Sarasua, rapidly jumps in and grabs ahold of the floatline that’s connecting Liccardo to the seabass.
“However the sea lion, with energy I underestimated, dragged us by means of the water with astonishing pressure.”
The 2 divers refuse to let go of the road, however the sea lion is simply as relentless. It turns round and swims towards Liccardo a number of instances, charging him and baring its enamel.
“Suéltalo, motherfucker!” he yells, shouting on the sea lion to “let go of it.”
This recreation of tug o’ struggle lasted for greater than 20 minutes, in keeping with Liccardo’s publish. Sarasua ultimately will get the floatline over to Fussaki Christos Dodi, the captain of the close by boat. Dodi then pulls the road tight, practically shedding a number of fingers within the course of when the road wraps round his hand.
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Lastly, the opposite spearfishermen deter the ocean lion lengthy sufficient for Liccardo to get the seabass over to the facet of the boat, the place the opposite crewmembers pull it over the gunnel. Every thing above the fish’s gills is generally shredded from the ocean lion’s sharp enamel, however the remainder of the fish seems to be intact.
“Victorious finally,” Liccardo beats on his chest and celebrates along with his crew as he sits within the backside of the boat subsequent to his hard-earned seabass.
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Though some Instagram customers have criticized Liccardo, saying he ought to have let the ocean lion have the fish, others have patted him on the again for standing as much as the marine predator. California sea lions could be federally protected all through their vary, however similar to coyotes, bears, and different land-based predators, they’ll develop into aggressive round people once they study to affiliate us with free meals.
“From most different spearos I wish to say thanks for combating and conserving your catch!” one individual writes. “In the event you don’t battle for it, you inadvertently train them they’ll get a straightforward meal by stealing a catch from spearos, and [they] will proceed to try this to different spearfishermen if profitable. Nicely completed!!”
